SuitabookHeaven
Nicholas Allan
- Reading
- Read together and pause before the goodbye to invite the child’s own ideas. Afterwards, notice how Lily responds to the stray puppy without treating a new animal as replacing Dill.
- Themes
- Grief and continuing bonds: Lily faces Dill’s departure, says goodbye, and later tries to give a stray puppy a form of heaven on earth. Loss is treated through both sadness and comic conversation, while later care suggests that continuing life and affection can coexist with remembrance.
- Different ideas about heaven: Lily and Dill imagine heaven differently: Lily pictures sweets and no illness, while Dill imagines dog-oriented pleasures and angels collect him. The exchange allows differing images to coexist, but it is unclear whether the book intends to affirm any particular religious account.
- Worth knowing
- The book may deserve attention if a child is dealing with the death or impending loss of a pet. Its comic references to dog droppings and bodily smells may also shape whether the humour feels welcome during a sad subject.